Banged-up Louisville faces 20 ACC games, eight contests vs. Top 25 foes and ... COVID

It appears that NCAA Division I college basketball will be played amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, and now we have schedules to guide us.

Four days after the Southeastern Conference and Kentucky revealed their slate for the coming season, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the University of Louisville followed suit Tuesday.

The result for the Cardinals? A schedule that includes seven non-conference contests and 20 ACC games, 16 at home, 11 on the road and none at neutral sites until the league’s postseason tournament in Washington, D.C.

It all tips off Nov. 25 when the Cardinals host Southern Illinois for the first game of the inaugural Wade Houston Tipoff Classic in the KFC Yum Center. Louisville will not host its traditional preseason exhibition games against outside opponents as a result of COVID-19.

“Although it’s been a long time coming, we sure look forward to a competitive schedule as usual,” Louisville Coach Chris Mack said in a news release. “I give a lot of credit to (assistant coach) Dino Gaudio, who worked the phones like an operator putting together our non-conference schedule. The ACC schedule is always a challenge no matter how they put the games together. We’re looking forward to November 25th!”

Louisville settled on a seven-game non-conference schedule that includes dates with Southern Illinois, Seton Hall, Prairie View A&M, Western Kentucky, UNC Greensboro, Wisconsin and Kentucky. Wisconsin was ranked No. 7 and Kentucky No. 10 in The Associated Press preseason rankings announced Monday.

Louisville’s ACC schedule includes games at home against North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Duke, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Virginia. On the road, Louisville will face Pittsburgh, Boston College, Wake Forest, Miami, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Duke and Clemson.

That means U of L plays six ACC opponents twice: Duke, Virginia, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Boston College and Pittsburgh.

U of L’s ACC opener is Dec. 16 at home against North Carolina State.

Louisville’s ACC opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 include No. 4 Virginia, No. 9 Duke, No. 16 North Carolina and No. 21 Florida State.

The Cardinals were not ranked in the Top 25 but were among teams receiving votes with 41, which put Louisville at No. 31 in points received. Louisville will start its season with at least two key players sidelined by injury. Senior forward Malik Williams is expected to miss 12 weeks with a foot injury. Graduate transfer guard Charles Minlend suffered a knee injury and could be sidelined at least six weeks.

Louisville has announced COVID-19 protocols for the 2020-21 season that will limit seating for home games in the KFC Yum Center to about 15 percent capacity to promote social distancing. That means Louisville’s 22,090-seat venue will allow in about 3,300 people.

U of L season ticket holders will receive communication via email about their seat selection time in the coming days.

2020-21 Louisville schedule

Home games in capital letters. Tip-off times and TV networks to be announced later:

Nov. 25: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS-1

Nov. 27: SETON HALL-1

Nov. 29: PRAIRIE VIEW A&M

Dec. 1: WESTERN KENTUCKY

Dec. 4: UNC GREENSBORO

Dec. 9: At Wisconsin-2

Dec. 16: NORTH CAROLINA ST.

Dec. 22: At Pittsburgh

Dec. 26: KENTUCKY

Jan. 2: At Boston College

Jan. 5 or 6: VIRGINIA TECH

Jan. 9: GEORGIA TECH

Jan. 12 or 13: At Wake Forest

Jan. 16: At Miami

Jan. 18: FLORIDA ST.

Jan. 23: DUKE

Jan. 30: BOSTON COLLEGE

Feb. 2 or 3: At Syracuse

Feb. 6: At Virginia

Feb. 9 or 10: PITTSBURGH

Feb. 13: At Virginia Tech

Feb. 16 or 17: SYRACUSE

Feb. 20: At North Carolina

Feb. 23 or 24: NOTRE DAME

Feb. 27: At Duke

March 2 or 3: At Clemson

March 6: VIRGINIA

March 9-13: ACC Tournament-3

1-Wade Houston Tipoff Classic in KFC Yum Center; 2-ACC/Big Ten Challenge; 3-At Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.